Fairly Full-Functioned, but Faulty Firmware Frustrating
Written: Jan 13 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: easy setup if nothing goes wrong
Cons: shipped with bad firmware (WRT54G v.5); needs more thought about help documents
The Bottom Line: Check with your ISP before buying this router - if they haven't had problems with it, it'll probably be OK. Otherwise, be prepared to jump through hoops.
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| scmrak's Full Review: Linksys WRT54G 802.11g 54M Wireless-G Router (NETW... |
The arrival of a new year found me dragged kicking and screaming (well, wriggling and whimpering, anyway) into the twenty-first century, as I finally sucked it up and installed a wireless network in the house. That's assuming, of course, you call a desktop computer and a single laptop a "network" (we’ll add the our backup desktop computer when it gets warm enough to use the attic). We already had a nice, fast D-Link card for the laptop, one that supports the IEEE 802.11g standard and is rated for speeds up to 108 Mbps (got that for road trips). So all I needed to become my own network administrator was a wireless router (no duh).
Scanning the reviews of the wireless routers convinced me that there's not much difference from brand to brand, and I'd not been terribly happy with D-Link's installation process. Once I hit the stores, I learned that the only brands available locally were NetGear, D-Link, and LinkSys - and the local BestBuy had rebates on their LinkSys line. What the heck? So I bought one - the LinkSys WRT54G, to be exact. The purchase took about $80 out of my checking account, but the rebates are supposed to put $30 back in - a net cost of $50. I figured I could live with that...
When it comes to tech duty, I'm strictly a do-it-yourselfer, even if doing it to myself hurts. I wasn't terribly interested in paying Best Buy’s Geek Squad $169 to install my wireless network. "How hard can it be?" I asked myself. Well, the truth is, it can be really, really, really easy. Or it can be a royal pain in the tuchus. Overall, my experience fell a little closer to the pain end of the spectrum.
LinkSys packs their WRT54G with an installation CD-ROM, a power adaptor/cable, and a three-foot Ethernet cable. Unwind the two cables, plop the CD into your drive, and you're ready to go. The install process walks you through all the plugging and unplugging you'll have to do - just reroute the incoming signal from the modem (DSL or cable) to the router, and create a new connection from the router to the main computer (in my case, a Dell desktop). Bingo! you're ready to go!
Or are you?
Why is it asking for a password? Why when I enter a password does it then do nothing? Why is there no way to access the help files on the CD-ROM?
Start over. This time I get a new screen after the password prompt, wherein I can choose my security protocols. I pick one. Nothing happens. Repeat the process: I get one screen further, then an error message telling me the router cannot access the internet… darn.
A phone call to LinkSys followed, answered by someone with a suspiciously singsong accent. Oh, well, my New Year's Resolution was to not get peeved by offshoring of tech support jobs. "Ronald" (Yeah. Sure.) told me I had to call my ISP so they could register the router. OK, reroute the cables so I can get on the net again. Another phone call: support at my ISP (Insight Broadband - the only choice available) tells me that LinkSys ships the modem (WRT54G v.5) with faulty firmware and I'll have to download a new version and install it before they can register the router. On-line chat with LinkSys, answered (rather slowly) by Vinnay. Sends me to the download page. Download. Reroute all the cables. Upgrade the firmware. One more phone call to my ISP's tech support gets me up and running. Elapsed time: one and one-half hours. Number of times I swore loudly enough to scare the dog: zero (I'm getting better, Mom!)
The router's up and running, and interfaces flawlessly with the D-Link adapter card installed in the laptop. Now I can surf anywhere in the house, and the Ms and I can check out email simultaneously. Cool! Though the hassle might not be worth it for some people…
You'll be wanting specifications, right? OK, here you go. The WRT54G uses the IEEE 802.11g standard, though it's backward-compatible with all devices employing the older, slower 802.11b standard. Maximum throughput is 54 Mbps (an available version with a "speedbooster" runs about one-third faster). That's slightly under 400% faster than the 11 Mbps for which 802.11b is rated.
Besides wireless access, the WRT54G also supports wired linkage. It's built with a four-port full-duplex 10/100 Ethernet switch to allow you to plug in laptops, PCs, and peripherals with Ethernet cards - allowing you to network in a scanner or a printer, for instance, or additional disk storage.
Since we're using it as a wireless router, we are - of course - interested in the security of our signal. The WRT54G supports both 64- and 128-bit WEP protocols, plus the more "rugged" WPA - WiFi Protected Access - protocols. On top of that, the router has a built-in firewall using the SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) method. It also supports VPN pass-through. If you've grounded one of the kids, you can configure the router to filter internet access with MAC address filtering. Suffice it to say that the WEP and WPA security, combined with the built-in firewall, is sufficient for our needs.
Physically, a WRT54G unit measures in at about 8x8 inches (21x21 cm). The black body and antennae are fronted by a blue face; ethernet cable (both in/out) and power hookups enter from the rear. The antennae are stubby, rising about four inches, and can swivel and tilt like your grandma’s rabbit-ears antenna on the old TV. In truth, it’s not very pretty – but neither is my printer…
Configuration of your network’s wireless security is truly slick: just press one button, the SES (“Secure Easy Setup”) button, on the router’s face to pull up the security interface. That’s where you can set (and reset) SSID, passwords, encryption scheme, and encryption key. If you have other LinkSys devices – routers and wireless adapters – you can use their SES buttons and built-in key generator to copy your encryption key from one device to another. Otherwise you’ll need to write it down and type it in…
Life with the WRT54G has been running smoothly, especially since I moved the router off the desktop and onto a higher surface – this improved the signal quite a bit. It was easy to program the encryption key into the D-Link adapter on the laptop (easier than reading my handwriting). We’re using the laptop two rooms away, but have not tested it out over longer distances yet. The IEEE 802.11g standard for indoor range is 100 meters (328 feet), which would put me in my neighbor’s house. All the more reason to be careful about the encryption key…
Recommendations? I’ve got one big one: before you start shopping for a router, call technical support at your ISP and ask them if they have any problems with specific brands and models of routers. Maybe do the same with the manufacturer of your main computer. Had I known that I was going to have to overwrite the firmware of my router to get it installed properly, I might have chosen a different brand.
That being said, installation was easy until I ran into problems, at which time I learned that technical support – while readily available – is not necessarily helpful. I also learned that the help included in the installation disk is inaccessible while you’re in the installations process – not a good idea. Wouldn’t have helped anyway – there’s nothing in the help documents about fouled-up firmware.
Also reviewed:
D-Link AirPlus Xtreme G DWL-G650 Wireless Adapter
Recommended:
No
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